‘Nargis, it’s five! The customers will start flocking to the brother. Why aren’t you dolled up yet?’ yelled Jyoti, the Madam. ‘I’m tired of putting up with you.’ It was evening, a time when her regular customers visited the brothel. As always, Jyoti wanted all the girls to be at their attractive best. She ran Read more…

Someday I’m going to be free And see nothing but the nature and me Someday I’ll dance with the trees And fly with the breeze.

When the bus driver took his seat, every passenger in the bus heaved a sigh. The driver switched on the pocket transistor. An old Kishore Kumar song was being broadcast. He checked the volume and turned it up. However, a special announcement soon interrupted the song. ‘The police are still on the lookout for the Read more…

Let me take a moment off To remember the time When I first saw my mother And saw stars blinking in the night sky.

Kartik was very proud of his beautiful house. It was, after all, the biggest house on the street. It was built of lovely red bricks and had large rooms with huge windows. A well laid-out garden could be seen through those windows. The garden itself was brimming with lovely flowers. Kartik had two gardeners to Read more…

‘Do you see the stuffed stag head mounted on the drawing room wall? It’s Uncle Benson’s trophy from a forest expedition,’ Uncle Benson’s friend pointed to the treasured collection of game. ‘How did you find it, uncle?’ I inquired. Uncle looked up at the stag’s head and said, ‘It once roamed freely in the woods. Read more…

You stayed in my heart all these years And shared with me, my laughter and tears You comforted me when I was in pain And your attempts were never in vain How many times with you I did fight? And you took it all so light You taught me what life really is.

Tarun was on his way to school. He had been observing the traffic constable at the intersection of the two main roads near his school for a few days. The constable had a funny way of controlling the traffic. It was as if he were performing Bharatanatyam, a classical Indian dance. He would click his Read more…

I opened my eyes to find the sun streaming in, The calm of the morn, broken by the song of a bird. I jumped up and watched her, fascinated, The note, all but a sad melancholy.   Her breast displayed vivid patches Of the seven-colored bridge, Joining the heavens and this wonderful land, Where one Read more…

Amin was an infamous thief. People dreaded him. Such was his notoriety that parents often used his name to frighten their children. One day, Amin committed a huge theft in a rich man’s house and made off with a lot of gold jewelry and cash. After this rich haul, he set off for his hideout Read more…